City motorists to pay hourly parking fees in new plan

Nairobi County Council officers enforcing parking charges in the CBD, August 26, 2019. [File, Standard]

Motorists in Nairobi will soon start paying for car parking services hourly after the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) automated four parking facilities in the capital.

The move is not only expected to increase revenue generated from parking, but also weed out unscrupulous parking attendants engaging in under dealings that see the county government lose millions in revenue monthly.

Daily parking in the Central Business District is currently Sh200.

NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi revealed that they have automated Nairobi Law Courts Parking, Sunken Car Park, Desai Road and Machakos Bus Station within the 100 days of being in office and also in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s March 18 directive.

“We have integrated the automation of Desai Road, Machakos Bus Station, Sunken Car Park and Nairobi Law Courts Parking into the Nairobi Revenue Service Programme,” said Badi.

Two termini namely Desai Road and Park Road are also under construction at 70 per cent complete. Badi noted that they will be used as termini for Public Service Vehicles, with priority given to matatus plying routes to and from the Mt Kenya region.

“These developments are aimed at easing traffic flow into the Nairobi Central Business District,” he added.

Further, the NMS is set to construct PSV termini and parking facilities along Mombasa road, Waiyaki Way, Thika Road and Lang’ata Road.

The move to automate the parking facilities comes amid calls by Nairobi County MCAs for the introduction of hourly parking services.